Killer Z's: The ZR1 is the fastest and most expensive production Corvette ever. So how does it stack up against its stablemates?

Inside, all our test cars came fully loaded and featured an optional full-leather treatment that is way classier than the standard vision in plastic. The nicely stitched leather, however, jars with some cheap plastic moldings in the center stack and a lame faux-carbon-fiber finish that runs through the cabin. That leather costs $8055 in the base car, $6515 in the Z06, and $10,000 in the ZR1, bundled with a navigation system and upscale audio. (The touch-screen nav system is a $1750 stand-alone option on the two other models.) There’s a $55,410 difference in price between the ZR1 and the Z51, but interior changes are limited to a boost gauge in place of a battery-voltage meter, a 220-mph speedometer, and the ZR1 name emblazoned on the seatbacks and the gauge cluster.

ZR1 and Z06 buyers might not get a whole lot of extra interior equipment for their money, but they do get a lot more hardware. The base car comes with a 430-hp, 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 engine mated to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Our test car came with what we regard as the most significant option, the Z51 performance package, which incorporates stiffer springs and anti-roll bars, retuned shocks, shorter gear ratios, and larger-diameter brake rotors (13.4 inches in front and 13.0 inches in back, up from 12.8 and 12.0 inches). At $1695, the Z51 package looks like a value. We also like the $1195 dual-mode performance-exhaust system, which increases output from 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque to 436 and 428, respectively. A base Corvette coupe equipped with the Z51 package and exhaust system would run $50,785, but Chevy saddled our test car with another $13,155 of options.

For $23,655 above the cost of our Z51 test car, the Z06 adds plenty of performance-enhancing equipment. The LS7 engine uses a different block than the LS3 and displaces 7.0 liters. With the aid of lightweight titanium valves and connecting rods, it revs to 7000 rpm, 500 more than the LS3. It uses a race-type dry-sump oiling system compared with the LS3’s wet sump. This engine makes a stout 505 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque.

To handle the increased power and torque, the Z06’s clutch, transmission, and half-shafts have been beefed up. The frame is aluminum instead of steel, and there are cast suspension pieces in place of welded items. There’s even a magnesium front cradle instead of aluminum to save weight and add strength. The suspension design is carried over from the base car, with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars. The brakes are uprated, with 14.0-inch-diameter front and 13.4-inch rear rotors and six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.

The ZR1 costs $31,745 more than the Z06. Like that car, the main news is under the hood. The supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 engine is based on the LS3 but with many changes. It has a forged steel crankshaft, titanium connecting rods, a dry-sump oil system, and hollow-stem exhaust valves. Titanium is also used for the intake valves. An Eaton R2300 supercharger and Behr intercooler force fuel and air into the engine, resulting in 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque.

To cope with the power, a two-disc clutch is fitted, and the gearbox and rear axle have been further strengthened. The gear ratios are closer than those of the Z06. The ZR1’s suspension is shared, for the most part, with the two other models, although the fitment of magnetorheological variable-damping shocks allows for a softer ride than the Z06’s. For the first time, a Corvette is equipped with carbon-ceramic brakes—massive 15.5-inch-diameter front and 15.0-inch rear Brembo rotors. They’re a slightly smaller version of the brakes used on the Bugatti Veyron.

The Best and Others to Consider

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Price Starting at

$191,100

Compare

There are three members of the 570 family, and all are set to kick sand in the faces of lesser cars.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Price Starting at

$92,150

Compare

The 911 debuted in the 1960s and stays true to its roots as the quintessential sports car.

The Editors' Rating summarizes a vehicle's overall degree of excellence and is determined by our editors, who evaluate hundreds of vehicles every year and consider numerous factors both objective and subjective.

Price Starting at

$162,850

Compare

For decades, the 911 Turbo has been the stuff of legends, and it remains so today.